The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-10
SPYING OUT sMUGGLED GOODS.
Work of the Women Inspectors of the
New York Custom House.
Et,om the Ne1r York WorLd.

From the Net0 York World.
The dock of any of the European steamship
companies is an excellent place to see for
yourself whether women inspectors earn
their money. A woman writer for the
World went over to New Jersey with two of
the women inspectors recently. They were
very companionabe women, receiving the
stranger pleasantly, and one, a fourteen
year office-holder, giving all possible infor-
nation as to the rules, regulations, and ex-
periences. Amid the hustle and excitement
that attend the landing of shipload of
passengers the women inspectors stand on
one side of portable desk, the men on the
other, and as the first man or woman
comes up with his slip declaring his bag
gage an inspector is assigned. Imagine for
instance, the first passenger whose trunks
are opened. 1t is trying time. The woman
inspector begins on the first opened trunk
by making dive at the big canvas catchau
made to hang up in the state room. She
empties all the pockets, feels of the sponge,
shakes the tooth-powder vigorously, gives
the comb and brush a crack and drops them
so the next turn will slide the things all out
among the clothes. The next thing is
warm shawl carefully pinned up in towel.
THAT towel has never been washedP Out
come the pins and into the inspectors mouth
they CO. The shawl is passed, but the 10c.
towel is strung over the back of the trunk.
There's a basket down at the bottom
of the trunk. Out it comes, but it con-
tains nothing but the second best bonnet.
Shake the shoes! Rattle the modest little
common-sense slippers! Open the puff-box!
Smell the cologne! Unfold the prim little
homemade undergarments, faunt their
hens and tucks to the breezes. They prob
ably need airing, anyway. Scratch the
tan tho hOftnn1 of fbn fv11nK a11d
that one is done. Then another trunk is
gone through in the same manner Every
little poverty of possession will be displayed
and its owner will blush and beg and ex-
postulate all through but bhe stern fingers
of justice will get through that trunk des-
pite it all and will fetch out at the end six
cheap towels and few little childish trink-
cts not worth appraising.
The last thing out the tired inspector
straightens her aching back, mops her face
with her handkerchief, gratefully puts her
chalk-mark on the trunk and hampers, gives
back her mouthful of pins, and goes to tell
her friends that That woman nearly drove
her crazy with her talk. If they would only
unlock their trunks and b Id their tongues,
we wouldn't get nervous, and they would be
likely to come out good deal better" So
says this experienced woman, who, after
all, has been only doing her duty. The en-
to end, gives you a complete idea of the
value of these women inspectors, their qnick
eyes and quick wits. And surely no man
could detect the dutiable from the unduti-
able goods in a woman's trunk as these
lively energetic women do
And the hard-heartedness they must indi-
cate against tender, coaxing damsels is real
ly touching. Here are two fair Boston
flowers. One is short and the other is tall,
and both are specialized and wary. Both
are like ice in the cool way they meet
the vigilance committee. 1--WE have few
trifies," they say, but they are quite our
own" and they Herewith put their arms
about the grim inspectors plump waist.
I'm sure" says one, laying her head affec-
tionately on the shoulders of the law, 'you
never saw such badly packed trunks, but,
really, l was so disguised with my old buds
when had to bring them back again just
didn't care"
"Pm sure" said the other, ''my things
must look very common after the elegant
things you see every day." herewith re-
ligiously laying out some non-dutiable
trinkets of one kind and another An hour
later you pass by those danes from Boston.
All the colors of the rainbow lie about them,
and they are listening meelzly to the words
of the appraiser: "About $50 duty, madam,
for each of you.n